Effective Communication Paper
Effective communication is essential in a healthcare organization as it plays a critical role in ensuring patient safety, improving the quality of care, and promoting positive outcomes (Brown, 2020). Healthcare providers are required to foster effective communication between each other and also when communicating with patients.
Effective communication in healthcare organizations requires a strong communication infrastructure, such as standardized documentation, clear communication protocols, and regular team meetings (Brown, 2020). Consequently, clear and open communication in healthcare organizations can improve patient outcomes, reduce misunderstandings, and drive productivity.
This paper will address components of effective communication, the importance of interprofessional collaborations, and strategies to improve it and integrate the concepts of effective communication in interprofessional collaboration.
Components of Effective Interprofessional Communication
Effective interpersonal communication is an essential tool in healthcare provision that enables sharing of information that can be used in the provision of care. To communicate effectively, various components of communication must be upheld.
First, the message should be clear during communication. For instance, healthcare providers should use simple words, be concise, and avoid medical jargon when communicating with patients to enhance easy understanding. Likewise, interprofessional should also use phrases and terms appropriate for the audience and avoid abbreviations when communicating with one another.
Honesty must also be held during communication. According to van Lierop et al. (2019), being truthful and open helps build trust and creates a sense of safety in communication. Additionally, practicing active listening is essential during communication. Active listening involves truly hearing and understanding the other party while being present, paying attention, and providing appropriate feedback.
Flexibility should also be involved during interprofessional communication. Empathy is another component of interprofessional communication. According to Giménez-Espert et al. (2020), individuals need to understand and share each other`s feelings which helps in enhancing interpersonal connection and is a powerful tool for easy decision-making to solve problems. Also, choosing the appropriate channel of communication is necessary during communication.
According to Brown (2020), various communication channels, including phones, face-to-face or messaging, can be applied depending on feasibility. Finally, being sensitive and understanding different cultures is essential for effective communication. Adopting these various communication components helps improve communication skills and build stronger, more meaningful relationships. Consequently, improved interprofessional relationships in healthcare help in improving care delivery, improving patient satisfaction, and enhancing health outcomes.
Importance of Interprofessional Collaboration
Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is an essential component of efficient healthcare provision. It entails merging or bringing healthcare professionals from different disciplines to collaborate to provide coordinated, patient-centered care (Morgan et al., 2020). Improved IPC is a priority for any healthcare setting committed to providing proficient care, as evidenced by its impacts in the healthcare setting. The impact of IPC can be seen in several areas, including patient outcomes, quality of care, cost-effectiveness, patient satisfaction, research, and workforce.
Regarding patient outcomes, interprofessional collaboration can lead to improved patient outcomes by ensuring that all aspects of a patient’s care are considered and coordinated. This can lead to earlier diagnosis, better treatment, and faster recovery. Additionally, the quality of care also improves through IPC as patients receive safe, efficient, and equitable care while improving continuity of care and reducing errors and adverse events.
Patient satisfaction also improves due to Interprofessional teams who communicate and coordinate efficiently during patient care. According to Morgan et al. (2020), patients are more satisfied when they feel that their healthcare providers are working together as a team. Additionally, job satisfaction for healthcare providers also improves as a result of enhanced teamwork and collaboration, which ultimately reduces staff turnover and increases retention of experienced staff. Another benefit of IPC can be realized in terms of cost-effectiveness.
According to Dahlke et al. (2020), enhanced interprofessional teams increase efficiency and reduce costs by avoiding duplicated efforts and reducing the need for unnecessary tests and treatments. Research and knowledge sharing can also improve due to IPC.
According to van Lierop et al. (2019), collaboration among different disciplines helps identify gaps in healthcare and develop new knowledge and techniques that can be shared and implemented in healthcare practice. By fostering teamwork and cooperation among healthcare professionals, interprofessional collaboration can help to ensure that patients receive the best possible care.
Promoting Interprofessional Collaboration
As stated above, IPC is an essential component of healthcare and improves various aspects of healthcare provision. As a result, various healthcare providers strive to improve IPC to enhance care. Various strategies can be used to promote interprofessional collaboration.
Providing education and training to healthcare professionals on the importance of interprofessional collaboration and how to effectively work together as a team is one of the methods of promoting interprofessional collaboration (Dahlke et al., 2020). Such training and education sessions enable different healthcare providers to learn from each other and appreciate the value of working together.
Additionally, organizing team-based care around specific patient populations or conditions, such as chronic disease management or mental health care, encourages collaboration among different disciplines (Dahlke et al., 2020). Team-based care can also be achieved by encouraging healthcare professionals from different disciplines to participate in decision-making processes and to share their unique perspectives and expertise.
Besides, establishing clear lines of communication and information sharing among healthcare professionals during care ensure that everyone is aware of the patient’s care plan and progress, ultimately improving collaboration (Morgan et al., 2020).
Additionally, developing and promoting a culture of collaboration and teamwork and providing leadership that supports and encourages interprofessional collaboration. Cultural competence is another important component of interprofessional collaboration that enables individuals to appreciate, understand, communicate, and work effectively with others (Nair & Adetayo, 2019).
It can be improved through training and education on cultural competencies, promoting open and honest communication, and respecting and valuing diverse cultural backgrounds. Therefore, healthcare providers should strive to be culturally competent and adopt the aforementioned strategies to improve IPC. This will help in improving patient outcomes, increase efficiency, and reduce costs.
In addition to promoting interprofessional collaboration, building interprofessional teams is also essential. Building interprofessional teams can be done by fostering a culture of collaboration, recognizing and valuing the contributions of different professions, providing opportunities for team members to get to know one another, and encouraging open and honest communication among team members (Cortes, 2019). As a result, nurses and other healthcare providers must work closely and build teams that improve patient outcomes.
Conclusion
Effective communication is an essential component of any organization, including healthcare organizations. Enhanced communication improves engagement, reduces misunderstandings, drives productivity, and improves patient outcomes. Additionally, effective communication also improves interprofessional collaboration, which improves the quality of care, patient outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and patient satisfaction.
However, the components of effective communication, including empathy, honesty, clarity, active listening, flexibility, empathy, and appropriate use of non-verbal cues, must be adhered to during communication to enhance information sharing. Healthcare providers must be mindful of their communication and develop better strategies to effectively pass information between themselves and patients.
References
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Cortes, T. (2019). Building interprofessional teams through partnerships to address quality. Nursing Science Quarterly, 32(4), 288–290. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894318419864343
Dahlke, S., Hunter, K. F., Reshef Kalogirou, M., Negrin, K., Fox, M., & Wagg, A. (2020). Perspectives about interprofessional collaboration and patient-Centred Care. La Revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement [Canadian Journal on Aging], 39(3), 443–455. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980819000539
Giménez-Espert, M. D. C., Castellano-Rioja, E., & Prado-Gascó, V. J. (2020). Empathy, emotional intelligence, and communication in Nursing: The moderating effect of the organizational factors. Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem, 28, e3333. https://doi.org/10.1590/1518-8345.3286.3333
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Nair, L., & Adetayo, O. A. (2019). Cultural competence and ethnic diversity in healthcare. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Global Open, 7(5), e2219. https://doi.org/10.1097/GOX.0000000000002219
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